by Lena Hart
“Judith is a sweet girl,” Gil began.
Carlos returned his gaze to the low mountaintops in the distant horizon, not responding.
“It’s a good thing that you’re taking her to the ranch house,” he continued. “It’s quiet enough for the two of you to spend some quality time together. Maybe then you two can work out whatever problems you seem to be having.”
“Tío—”
Gil raised his hand. “Hey, I know it’s none of my business, but I see the way you two look at each other. Or at least when you think the other isn’t looking.” He scoffed and shook his head. “When she looks at you, you look away. When you look at her, she looks away. It’s foolishness. But I know how it is. I was young once. Just don’t let it get out of control. You have a good girl there. Whatever it is that’s bothering you two, either talk about it or let it go. You’re only wasting precious time being angry when you could be using most of that energy making love.”
Carlos cocked a brow.
Gil laughed and slapped his shoulder firmly. “This is coming from years of experience, mijo. And some very hard nights.”
Carlos stared at his uncle, appalled and baffled all at once. Then he shook his head, a small smile curving his lips. “TMI, tío,” he muttered.
Guillermo Delgado tended to be a blunt, straightforward man, which Carlos believed came from his time as a detective. But the older his uncle got, the more uncensored he became.
His uncle made a sound in the back of his throat. “You’re a grown man now. You know what I’m talking about. Now you need to start acting like one and start settling down with a good woman who will give you some beautiful children.”
“Why don’t we focus on getting through dinner first?”
A few months ago, Carlos would have just ignored his uncle’s words or brushed them off with a joke. A few hours ago, he couldn’t have thought of anything better than raising a family and he’d had one woman in mind to start that. But that woman was a liar, a fraud, who didn’t even trust him. A future between them was as nonexistent as her feelings for him.
“Just don’t wait too long, Carlos. I’ve been ready to buy you and Tristan cufflinks for some time now.”
Carlos shook his head. Wedding cufflinks for the groom was a tradition his uncle was trying to start but had only been able to buy them for his first son and only son-in-law. Unfortunately, his uncle would have to wait before Carlos would be ready for them.
“Ignore me if you want,” his uncle continued. “But I’m telling you, you waste time and another man will take that beautiful girl right from under you.”
A sudden burst of excitement came from inside the house and he and Gil reentered to see what had made his aunt cry out in delight.
“Oh,” Rosa exclaimed as Tristan gathered her into a tight hug. “I’m so happy to have my boys with me tonight. You have to stay and eat with us,” his aunt said in Spanish.
“Of course, mama,” his cousin said, kissing her cheek. “You know I can’t find anyone else who can cook like you.”
Tristan came up to his father and shook his hand in greeting and Gil patted him on the back. Carlos didn’t even flinch when Tristan punched his arm by way of greeting.
“So…” his cousin drawled, a gleam in his light brown eyes. “I hear you’ve finally brought your Judith over.”
Carlos stifled a groan. He had wondered what had brought him by. The lack of surprise from his uncle at his son’s unexpected visit said he was possibly the one who’d gone and spread the news. Though they were a close family unit, they didn’t get together for family dinners often, something his aunt constantly complained about. Except for him and Tristan, his two other cousins were married and had their own families to tend to and it was especially rare for them to see each other in the middle of the week like this.
“Judith went to go feed the cat,” his aunt said to them in Spanish. Then she turned to him as if she needed to explain. “She thought it was better to put him in the laundry room so it wouldn’t get near the food.”
Just then Judith came out from the back of the house and all eyes turned to her. He was surprised—and more than a little annoyed—by the small shift in his breathing at the sight of her. She stood there frozen for a second, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden attention. She glanced at him, and for a moment their gazes locked before she let hers slip away.
“You must be Judith,” Tristan said, walking over to her.
Carlos noticed the transfixed expression on her face. It was the same look all women got when they met his cousin for the first time—or whenever they happened to look at him. Tristan always found it amusing, Carlos thought it ridiculous. But seeing Judith gaze up at Tristan the same way filled him with a fierce jealousy that burned in his gut. And apparently he wasn’t the only one who noticed it.
“El tiempo a nadie espera,” Gil muttered.
Carlos spared his uncle a quick glance. Time waits for no man, indeed. But then again, he’d gotten them all wrong. She wasn’t his future. She was nothing more than the woman who’d made him look like a fucking fool.
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” his cousin said. “I’m Tristan and I have to say, Carlos is a very lucky guy.”
Judith smiled bashfully at his cousin and the fire in Carlos’ gut intensified. His fists clenched at his sides when Tristan took her hand and placed a light kiss on the back of it.
“Thanks, Tristan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Oh no, angel,” he replied, flashing one of his signature charm. “The pleasure’s all mine.”
Carlos gritted his teeth at his cousin’s ridiculous flirtation. “Let go of her hand, Tristan,” he snapped. “Now.”
Everyone turned to look at him, but he ignored their curious and amused gazes. He couldn’t stop the possessiveness that was surging through him so he didn’t bother. Not that he believed Tristan would try to take her from him, but Carlos didn’t want to even think that Judith could possibly find his cousin attractive. Their relationship may be only a pretense at the moment, but right here, right now, she was still his.
Luckily, his cousin didn’t try to test him. Tristan released her hand and took a step back. His aunt took that moment to pull Judith away.
“The food is almost ready,” she called over her shoulders. “Don’t you boys cause trouble before then.”
They watched as the women disappeared into the kitchen. Knowing his aunt, she was probably not letting Judith lift a finger and just filling her with stories about him. If things had been different, he would have found it cute. But now he only wanted dinner to be done and over with so that he could tuck her away in the ranch house and away from him.
“Lovely lady,” Tristan said absently, pulling him out of his thoughts.
Carlos didn’t respond and thankfully his uncle steered the conversation to the renovations of his mixed-martial arts training gym.
“Tristan, since Carlos will be with Judith, it will just be you, me, and Jay tomorrow at the gym.”
Tristan nodded. “I’ll be there, Pop.”
After his early retirement as a homicide detective, Gil had used the jiu-jitsu training he’d received growing up in Brazil to start his own MMA gym, which was now in desperate need of repairs. With money being tight, his uncle had enlisted their help with the project.
Carlos didn’t like leaving his uncle in the lurch, but he didn’t correct him about his assumption that he would be staying with Judith at the ranch house. Though he fully intended to bring her there, where it was safe and secluded, he had no intentions of staying. He would return to work and continue his investigation so he would have something concrete to share with David Carrone besides a bizarre tale and mystery notes. The thought of sharing Judith’s story with David had crossed his mind, but before he made himself look like a gullible fool again, Carlos wanted something a bit more substantial to go on.
Gil turned to him and said sternly, “Just because I’m letting you off the hook with the gym Car
los, doesn’t mean you get a pass from your tía’s birthday party. I expect everyone to be there.”
“Of course, tío. Where else would I be?” Carlos said.
Hopefully by then, Carlos would get this investigation wrapped up. His uncle had been planning his aunt’s fifty-fifth birthday dinner for months now. She believed it was just a simple dinner with the family, but his uncle had actually rented a banquet hall and was setting up a surprise dinner with a large guest list.
Only the closest family knew this was more than just a birthday party. It was also a celebration of his aunt’s fifth year as a breast cancer survivor. It wasn’t something she wanted to make a big deal over so as far as she and everyone else knew, it was just a simple birthday dinner.
Eventually, his uncle took a call outside and left them alone. Tristan turned to him.
“Before you even ask, I got your request fast-tracked and should have the results of the fingerprinting by the end of the week.”
Carlos shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.” At his cousin’s confused frown, he quickly filled him in on their new discovery, including Judith’s involvement. Only with Tristan could he be this open, even at the expense of his pride.
“Do you think she was really blackmailed into doing it?” Tristan eventually asked, his deep frown still in place.
Carlos shrugged. “I don’t know. Hopefully, I’ll know for sure once I find who it was that sent her this.” He pulled out the small note and handed it to his cousin. Tristan quickly scanned it.
“What do they mean?” he asked, still staring at the cryptic note. “What were they helping her with?”
Carlos shook his head. “She wouldn’t say. Only that she needs to disappear.”
“Sounds like she’s in some serious trouble.”
Carlos grunted, not saying anything when Tristan tucked the note in his pocket. He’d already committed the number to memory and Carlos intended to pull a call log to verify what she’d told him. But with his cousin’s help, he could expedite the process. “Well, she doesn’t trust me enough to tell me so that I can help. And I can’t force her.”
Tristan was silent for a moment, then he let out a low whistle. “Just this morning, you were a man so in love, you were practically grinning from ear to ear. My, how so much can change in such little time.”
“I never said I was in love,” Carlos growled. But they both recognized the lie.
“Maybe she just needs some time,” Tristan offered. “She looks like an innocent little lamb.”
Carlos scoffed. Tristan’s assessment would have been correct expect he knew better. She was just a criminal playing at being innocent.
A wolf in lamb’s clothing.
Funny, how she had called him a wolf. It was almost a bad joke. Except he wasn’t laughing.
“Seriously,” Tristan continued. “There must be a good reason she got herself involved in all this.”
Carlos contemplated his cousin’s words then shrugged. “At this point, I don’t think it really matters.”
A lie was a lie and nothing could change that.
Chapter Ten
“Please Señora Rosa, let me help you.” Judith followed the other woman into the kitchen, carrying a large bowl that had once been piled with yellow rice. The men in this family sure could eat.
“No, mija, I can do it,” Rosa said, placing the dirty dishes in the sink. “You just go relax.”
Judith nodded and stole away to the bathroom, once again taken by the large potted plants in almost every corner of the house. There was one thing that was indisputable about the older woman—she loved her family and she loved her plants.
Not wanting to return to where the men still sat at the table, Judith lingered in the small half-bath longer than she needed. Though Carlos’ family was warm and welcoming, they were also a bit intrusive.
No, she shouldn’t say that. They were just normal people asking normal questions of someone they wanted to get to know better. After her vague responses to their questions, dinner had almost turned awkward, but thankfully Tristan had filled in the silence since Carlos hadn’t seemed inclined to.
Dinner had only ended a few minutes ago and soon she would be trapped in the car for another hour and half with him. Except for the occasional glare, Carlos had said nothing to her most of the evening. Thanks to his aunt, she had gotten to know a bit more about him—down to his favorite dish. But it was the sacrifice and care he’d done for his aunt during her breast cancer treatments that had really wrenched at Judith’s heart, however. Apparently he had finished his enlistment in the Marine Corps when she’d been diagnosed to help the family. Judith could see the love and affection in the other woman’s face whenever she spoke of him and his devotion to her.
Judith sighed. She had gotten to experience that tender side of him—a side she was already starting to miss. Against her will, she had occasionally found her gaze wandering to his, but each time she looked at him, he would fix her with a hard glare that had her turning away. It was a wonder she had managed to hold on to her resolve for this long when her insides were literally twisted in knots.
She left the sanctuary of the bathroom and headed back into the main dining room. She couldn’t hide from Carlos forever.
But neither was she in any rush.
As Judith made her way down the long hallway that separated the living area and half-bathroom, she paused at the wall of family pictures. It was decorated with a variety of small and large photos, and she couldn’t help but admire them. She stopped at one large family portrait hanging on the wall and smiled. It was an old one, perhaps twenty years old, but they were all wearing their Sunday finest and big smiles to go along with them. The Delgados looked like a happy, loving family. From her time with Rosa, she could see that they were as close as Carlos had mentioned.
Her eyes lingered on a young Carlos and she was amazed at the chubby young version of him with the thick, curly dark hair smiling back at her. He looked so sweet and innocent then—a complete departure from the fit and rugged man who oozed sensuality. Yet with his dark eyes and teasing smile, he managed to still resemble himself.
She continued down the wall of photos, pausing at each one. And in each one she sought out Carlos. She found one that she nominated as her favorite by far. This one only had a younger Carlos in the picture, who looked to be about six or seven years old. He was dressed in an all-white suit, with a sly smile on his young, round face. With his dark hair slicked back and one small hand in his pocket, he looked like an adorable little heartbreaker.
There were more photos of the family. Tristan’s older brother and little sister were both married and raising their own families, but it was nice to put a face to the two other Delgados that had been mentioned occasionally during dinner. They were an attractive bunch, but not as attractive as their middle brother.
“We were twelve there,” Tristan said, startling her out of her intense concentration.
Judith glanced up at Tristan, suddenly realizing she’d been standing there looking at a photo of him and Carlos in their preteens, clad in white karate uniforms with a green belt wrapped around them. The two young boys stood with serious expressions on their face while a proud looking Gil stood behind them, a hand on each boy’s shoulder.
Tristan stood next to her, staring at the same photo. Even at his young age, he had promises of becoming a strikingly handsome man. But he’d certainly grown out of his adolescence and into a tall, well-built man. Unlike his siblings, Tristan shared his father’s hazel eyes, which were framed by dark brows with a small, thin scar that ran across the left one. But despite the small imperfection he was probably the most handsome man she’d seen outside a cover magazine. She’d known Carlos had been teasing when he’d called Tristan ugly, but she hadn’t realized by how much.
It didn’t matter because it was Carlos who held her attention.
“You both look so serious,” she said with a small grin, staring back at the picture.
Tristan
laughed. “It was all for show. We were the youngest ones in our class to get our green belts and we thought we were bad asses.”
She had never imagined Carlos practicing martial arts. From what she knew of the sport, which wasn’t much, she couldn’t picture him wearing a white robe or breaking wooden slates with his feet. “Do you guys still practice karate?”
“We spar from time to time in my dad’s gym, but it’s nothing like karate,” Tristan said, humor in his voice. “We trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which is just a different form of martial arts. My dad thought Carlos and I could use the same training since we spent most of our time after school fighting.”
Judith glanced up at him with a small frown. “Each other?”
He laughed. “Well, I did have to kick his ass a few times, but we mostly fought a lot of assholes. Our junior high was about ninety percent Mexican-American and they were pretty damn prejudiced against any other Latino who wasn’t, especially Colombians. When word got out that Carlos was half, he was always getting jumped. And of course, I couldn’t just stand around and let my cousin get his ass kicked.”
Judith frown deepened as she thought of Carlos getting bullied for something so petty. It made her angry enough to want to go back in time and beat some sense into those silly kids too.
“I’m glad your dad had you guys properly trained.”
Tristan nodded. “Me too. He figured he couldn’t stop them from coming after us so might as well prepare us. But since we spent most of our time at the center, it actually became less of a problem.” He grinned. “And there was this one time Carlos went loco on this one dumbass who just wouldn’t quit. He really messed up the guy’s face and people finally stopped fucking with him then.”
She couldn’t imagine Carlos losing control and going crazy on anyone like that, but she wasn’t sorry to hear that he’d given that bully his comeuppance.
Tristan lingered at the wall of photos with her, filling her in on the remaining few she hadn’t gotten to. There was a bronze novelty frame with the Marines emblem engraved on with Carlos’ military headshot held inside. Along the frame were the words that were also tattooed on his chest. Semper Fidelis.